Reference no: EM133473246

Case Study: The Founding Fathers of the United States after having endured a tenuous reign by England felt that their new government should have checks and balances built in to ensure that any decisions were evaluated and agreed upon by the people for the people. The United States constitution created three arms (executive, judicial, legislative) of the government to maintain balance. The legislative arm (congress) makes the laws of the federal government. They control all of the federal money and have the right to declare war. The executive branch (President and Vice President) was formed to enforce these laws at the federal level. This collection of people declares states of emergency, appoints Supreme Court Judges, and spends money that Congress allocates. The judicial branch (Supreme Court) is tasked with interpreting these laws and applying them to real-life situations. They can also determine if a law is unconstitutional and throw it out altogether.

In the last 100 years, we have seen a shift in powers within the government. The Presidency has expanded as the Legislative branch has gotten smaller and the Judicial branch has played a decisive role in American politics.

Question: In your opinion what branch currently has the most power? Explain with examples and citations. Which branch do you think SHOULD have the most power? Explain and provide examples. And finally, do you think the three branches abuse their power? Explain and provide examples.